Objective: For decades, both theory and research have focused on the role of self-esteem and shame in constructing narcissistic traits. However, studies on the exact relationship between these two and overt and covert facets of narcissism have been equivocal.

Methods: The current study is correlational. It examined these relationships among 308 Iranian college students (155 males, 153 females, mean age=23.49 years, SD=2.83). The target population was all students of national universities of Tehran, Iran. The sampling method was non-random multi-step clustering. Participants were asked to fill four self-report measures: Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPD), Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (RSES), Test of Selfconscious Affect (TOSCA-3), and Hypersensitive Narcissism Scale (HSNS). The data were analyzed by SPSS 19.0.0 software, using Pearson’s Correlation, T-test and Multiple Regression Analysis methods.

Results: Surprisingly, there was no significant difference between men and women with respect to NPI scores. Findings also revealed that shame was negatively related to overt narcissism (r=-0.22, P<0.05) and positively related to covert narcissism (r=0.23, P<0.05). Self-esteem was found to be positively correlated with overt narcissism (r=0.42, P<0.01) and negatively correlated with covert narcissism (r=-0.30, P<0.01).

Conclusion: The results provide support for the models of overt narcissism in which the narcissistic self serves as a buffer against inner feelings of inferiority. It also supports the importance of shame and low self-esteem in shaping the covert narcissistic traits. However, shame could not differentiate between overt and covert narcissism. The empirical, cultural, and clinical implications of the findings are discussed.